In the six years since I moved out to the East Coast from California, I had never experienced a storm like Sandy.

Well, experienced the build-up to a storm like Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy didn't hit Washington, DC as hard as it hit New York and other parts of the East Coast and the Caribbean, but it did do something extraordinary: it brought people together. In personifying Hurricane Sandy, preparations were made to protect real people.

The DC Mayor's office issued a preemptive emergency warning which would provide the District with additional, federal assistance should it need it. The Mayor's Office also outlined which churches and community centers were serving as emergency shelters, and even specified which ones would accept your cat or dog! President Obama's federal response was also fantastic.